Bulletin No. 1, 2013

64   Chinese University Bulletin No. 1, 2013 CAE Academicians Visit CUHK A delegation of four academicians from the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) visited CUHK under the CAE Academicians Visit Programme in December 2012. In the ‘Lecture Series by Academicians’ held on 12 December, they shared their expertise with over 200 academics, researchers and students from CUHK and other institutions. Prof. Gong Huixing (3rd left, front row) talked about the development of infrared astronomy technology; Prof. Xue Qunji (3rd right, front row) presented his work on ‘Architecture of Hard yet Tough Tribology Films/Coatings’; Prof. Cui Junzhi (1st left, front row) shared his research results on chemical, metallurgical and materials engineering; and Prof. Yu Mengsun (1st right, front row) delivered a lecture on biomedical engineering. CAS Academicians on Life Sciences The Sixth Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Academicians Visit Programme was held in March. Five CAS Academicians from the Division of Life Sciences and Medicine joined the delegation this year and delivered the ‘Lec ture Series by Academicians’. They included Prof. Shen Yan, vice-president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Prof. Rao Zihe, former president of Nankai University; Prof. Chen Lin, of Institute of Biophysics, CAS; Prof. He Lin, director of Bio-X Institute at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and Prof. Lin Hongxuan, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, CAS. Scholars on Ideal and Reality of University Education The first CUHK 50th Anniversary Public Lecture, entitled ‘The Ideal and Reality of University Education’, was presented by Prof. Lee Ou-fan Leo (left), Sin Wai Kin Professor of Chinese Culture of CUHK, and Prof. Kwan Tze- wan (right), professor in the Department of Philosophy, on 9 March at Hong Kong Central Library. Professor Lee gave an account of what a university spirit should be by quoting the definition by Mr. Cai Yuanpei, former president of Peking University, drawing on the book The Idea of the University by Prof. Ambrose King, former CUHK Vice-Chancellor, as well as Ten Lectures of Chinese University by Prof. Chen Pingyuan. Professor Kwan briefly introduced the much-discussed Humboldtian Model of university education, This Humboldtian backdrop was then compared to the reality of contemporary university education in order to arrive at some critical reflections on the educational practices in universities of our time, especially regarding the disinterested nature of education and research, and the solitude and freedom of a university. Intellectual Cross-currents